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Shakira's Addiction

Shakira, the Columbian rockstar is back with her extravagant moves with her honest hips. As the dim lights sets the mood, check out the latin sensation gyrating her hot sexy body like never before in her new music video 'Addicted To You..'



Celebs Photo Gallery

Celebs Factory presents an exclusive image collection of Celebrities across the globe. Check out the uncensored and unseen images of celebrities exclusively in our Gallery section. Your search for Celebrity Images ends here..



Poonam for Playboy!!?

Poonam Pandey, the controversial Kingfisher model all nude much to the delight of her fans after the victory of Shahrukh Khan's IPL franchise cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders. Find out if she's willing to go full frontal for Playboy..



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Two time Oscar winning music maestro A.R. Rahman did not win the Oscar for Best Song or Best Original Score at this year's Academy Awards held in Los Angeles Sunday night, but Hollywood still got to enjoy his performance of "If I Rise" from Danny Boyle's 127 Hours.

A.R. Rahman's song "If I Rise" was up against Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow's "Coming Home" from her film Country Strong, Mandy Moore's and Zachary Levi's "I See the Light" from Tangled, and Randy Newman's "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3 that took home the trophy. All the nominees performed their numbers live on stage at the Kodak theater.
When A.R. Rahman and Danny Boyle worked together on the Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire, they made fans the world over, so it made sense for the two creative minds to join forces once again! Boyle and Rahman were a match made in heaven when they worked on Slumdog Millionaire. The score earned music maestro A.R. Rahman numerous awards, including Oscars, Grammys and a Golden Globe.

This time the award winning team took on the critically acclaimed film 127 Hours starring Hollywood hottie James Franco, who hosted the star-studded ceremony with Anne Hathaway. For the track "If I Rise," the famous music maker teamed up with none other than British songstress Dido who wrote the lyrics. And it all worked out as A.R. Rahman was nominated for Best Song and Best Original Score.
Our sources tell us A.R. Rahman enjoyed the support of two special guests from Bollywood; Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her hubby Abhishek Bachchan who came to Hollywood to cheer for their favorite composer. Mallika Sherawat was also spotted in the audience rooting for the Mozart of Madras. Do you think A.R. Rahman should have won an Oscar tonight?



Awards and nominations are nothing new for A.R. Rahman, but his Academy Award nod this time is special. It's the first time the Indian composer has been nominated for his work on an American film.

Rahman and Dido were nominated for the song, 'If I Rise' from the film '127 Hours' by director Danny Boyle. The pair last worked on the 2008 Academy Award-winning film, 'Slumdog Millionaire.'

"For me, getting nominated again is a big statement, along with Dido, and with Danny Boyle and all the stuff. But I don't know whether I'm going to win or not. But I did enjoy working on the song and the whole movie. It's a cult movie. It's going to be a moment forever. So I'm proud of that," Rahman said.

While Rahman tends to favor heavy, complex scores with electronic instrumentation, he opted for a guitar-rich sound.

"Well, the two things that motivated me to use the guitar, which is the landscape and it's also about a young person who's very adventurous, who daring and stuff. The guitar spearheads the whole score. It's got acoustic guitars and electric guitars and all kinds of stuff," Rahman said.

Dido says she was ecstatic to work with Rahman and Boyle on the project.

"It's been amazing. It's been such a joy to work with A.R. He's just an incredibly inspiring musician to work with and to be involved with something Danny Boyle's directing," Dido said.

The singer said the collaboration marked a first time for her.

"A.R. is the first person - I never sung anyone's melody other my own," she said.

Rahman says he wasn't sure what he thought about the score until the first audience saw the film.

"It was Toronto," he said. "When I heard about what happened there, it was very encouraging. It had a similar kind of conversation like 'Slumdog (Millionaire).'

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab

Natalie Portman in Rodarte

Camila Alves in Kaufmanfranco


Cate Blanchett in Givenchy


Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin and Klein

Scarlett Johansson in Dolce & Gabbana


Michelle Williams in Chanel







Anne Hathaway is red hot in a strapless Valentino gown at the 2011 Oscars held at the Kodak Theater on Sunday (February 27) in Los Angeles.

The 28-year-old Oscars host made at least five outfit changes throughout the night.



Halle Berry glams up the red carpet at the 2011 Oscars held at the Kodak Theater on Sunday (February 27) in Los Angeles.

The 44-year-old actress wore a nude and crystal encrusted Marchesa corset gown with organza and silk tulle ruffles and Christian Louboutin heels.

Halle presented a tribute to late actress Lena Horne during the ceremony.


Natalie Portman shows off her growing baby bump as she hits the red carpet at the 2011 Oscars held at the Kodak Theater on Sunday (February 27) in Los Angeles.

The 29-year-old pregnant actress, who walked the red carpet with her co-star and fiance Benjamin Millepied, won the Academy Award for Actress in a Leading Role for her performance as a ballerina in search of perfection in Black Swan!

Nat wore Rodarte’s Violet Silk Chiffon Draped Gown with Swarovski Crystals and finished her look with Jimmy Choo shoes, Tiffany & Co. jewelry, and a Roger Vivier bag.

LOVE LOVE LOVE


Gwyneth Paltrow performs on stage at the 2011 Oscars held at the Kodak Theater on Sunday (February 27) in Los Angeles.

The 38-year-old actress wore a Michael Kors dress for her performance of “Coming Home” from her film Country Strong.

The song was nominated for Best Original Song, but lost to Toy Story 3’s “We Belong Together.


Oprah Winfrey hits the stage at the 2011 Oscars held at the Kodak Theater on Sunday (February 27) in Los Angeles.

The 57-year-old media mogul wore a Zac Posen gown and presented the Best Documentary Award to the filmmakers of Inside Job.

Oprah will be returning to the stage tomorrow for her annual post-Oscar special.

Tune in to see interviews with the big winners, Gayle King’s backstage footage, and a fashion recap from Carson Kressley!


It was a big night at the 2011 Oscars held at the Kodak Theater on Sunday (February 27) in Los Angeles.

The big winners of the night were The King’s Speech, Inception, and The Social Network.

The King’s Speech took home the award for Best Picture.

Colin Firth picked up the award for Best Actor and Natalie Portman went home with the award for Best Actress!

Did you pick the winners correctly this year?

Best Motion Picture of the Year
The King’s Speech


Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Toy Story 3

Best Documentary Short Subject
Strangers No More

Best Short Film (Animated)
The Lost Thing

Best Short Film (Live Action)
God of Love

Achievement in Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland

Achievement in Cinematography
Inception

Achievement in Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland

Achievement in Directing
Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)

Best Documentary Feature
Inside Job

Achievement in Makeup
The Wolfman - WINNER

Achievement in Film Editing
The Social Network

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
In a Better World (Denmark)

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
The Social Network

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
“We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3 - WINNER

Achievement in Sound Editing
Inception

Achievement in Sound Mixing
Inception

Achievement in Visual Effects
Inception

Adapted Screenplay
The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)

Original Screenplay
The King’s Speech (David Seidler)


Anne Hathaway in a suit and James Franco in drag?

To think that these two actors almost turned down the chance to host the Oscars (apparently, the duo had rejected the offer but their 'chemistry' brought them together).

Well, their chemistry certainly kept the audience entertained at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Here's a look at the highlights.

It was a role reversal of sorts as Hathaway wore the pants while Franco was dressed in drag as Marilyn Monroe before welcoming Russell Brand and Helen Mirren on stage, who presented the Best Foreign Language Film prize to In a Better World (Denmark).

'You got to wear a tuxedo,' he joked to Hathaway. 'So I wore this. Weird part is I just got a text message from Charlie Sheen.'

It's not the first time that Franco appeared in drag. He had posed in drag for the cover of Candy magazine last year.

We also got a glimpse of Hathaway's vocal abilities when she performed a musical number alone.

Dressed in a tuxedo, Hathaway belted out a tune to the melody of On My Own from Les Miserables, a jab at Hugh Jackman who she apparently blamed for bailing out on her (Hathway had joined Hugh on stage for the opening number when he hosted the awards in 2008).

'There's a tradition of singing at the Oscars,' she informed the crowd. 'One that I was lucky enough to take part in two years ago. And this year I wanted to do a duet again with a special guest, but he bailed on me at the last minute and I couldn't do it. But I'm not a quitter, so this is the best I could do under the circumstances.'


Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai added some Indian glamour to the Oscars with an on-trend shimmery number at the 83rd Academy Awards where sequins dominated the red carpet.

The 37-year-old actress sparkled in a bronze Giorgio Armani Prive gown with rows of amber sequins and beaded detail at the waist, while husband Abhishek Bachchan stuck to a traditional black tuxedo.

The actress teamed the shimmery gown with a Jimmy Choo clutch, vintage jewellery and smoky eyes.

Like Abhishek, musician A R Rahman who walked the red carpet with wife Saira, too wore a tuxedo while his partner chose a flamboyant fusion ensemble consisting of a golden sherwani and cigarette pants.

Like Saira and Ash, the shimmer trend was followed by Gwnyeth Paltrow, who wore a gold Calvin Klein number and Halle Berry who stole the show in a nude sparkling number by Marchesa.

Hilary Swank''s glistening silver Gucci column gave way to a romantic ostrich feather skirt, while the sparkling bodice of Mandy Moore''s romantic Monique L''Hullier dress appeared to have been sprayed on.

Shimmering nude was also an age-appropriate choice for 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld, nominated for her role in ''True Grit'', who won a Fifties-style dress by Marchesa.

While Celine Dion, wore a full-sleeved silver column dress, Amy Adams added a pop of colour to the red carpet with a sequinned navy gown by L''Wren Scott, which she teamed with green accesories.

Other than the sparkle, another major trend was the resurgence of the red carpet favourite, voluminous red gowns.

The bustled creations worn by Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson, and Sandra Bullock, were in the same traffic-stopping hue of red. Penelope Cruz too showed off her post-pregnancy bod with a sequinned red gown by L''Wren Scott.

And while black remained a popular choice, with famously eccentric British star Helena Bonham Carter opting for it, there were some surprises from Cate Blanchett who wore an lavender Givenchy Haute Couture gown with yellow embellishment, and an unusual purple-burgundy hue seen on both Natalie Portman, in Rodarte, and Scarlett Johansson in Dolce and Gabbana.


Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan desires to become a journalist in his next life, reports say.

The 68 year old Big B who is currently busy shooting in Bhopal for his upcoming film “Aarakshan” stated “It is not possible in this life, but in my next life I would like to become a journalist.”

Bhopal is also his wife Jaya’s hometown. He is totally impressed by the genteel culture of the Bhopalis.

Big B posted a blog on big.bigadda stating “As I work in Bhopal, my sasural, my wife’s home, her mother who lives by herself there, shall dutifully prepare my dinner each night and personally come over to the hotel with it and sit beside me to feed me and supervise the meal.”

He stated further, “Coercing me to eat more, to try this and that and whether it was appealing or not.” The film also stars Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Deepika Padukone and Prateik Babbar.


British Model Hazel Crowney, co-star to Salman Khan in Siddique Lal's upcoming flick Bodyguard, has finally succeeded in breaking the nut-shell created by Salman, who was determined of not letting any girl distract ever again. Surprised?

Well, yes! Salman Khan has once again found a new muse for himself. Hazel and Salman have been spending a lot of time with each other in the last few days. Hazel also took Salman for a bike ride in Pune while they were shooting for the film Bodyguard in Pune. Now, this closeness has become the talk of the town in Bollywood industry.

The actors have also been spending a lot of quality time together after the shoots of Bodyguard. Well, this is definitely a news as Salman after having a series of bad experiences with girls( Somy Ali, Sangeeta Bijlani, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Katrina Kaif) and love relationships had drawn a line for himself saying that he will now on only concentrate on career.

Well, looks like Hazel's nut has broken Salman's shell making way to his heart.





Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai who is the international face of Bollywood was recently spotted bonding with the Hollywood actor Dustin Hoffman.

Aishwarya and Hoffman reportedly met in Los Angeles at an exhibition basketball game at Staples Center. Hoffman had come with his son Jake, and Ash was with her husband Abhishek Bachchan.

Reports say Ash and Hoffman bonded for some time on the sidelines of the game. They spoke about films. The meeting was more than just a mere exchange of pleasantries but still did not last long as the two got busy cheering up the basketball teams they supported.

Aishwarya and Abhishek have also been invited to the Oscars this year, as was revealed by Amitabh Bachchan recently. In fact Ashutosh Gowariker is also expected to attend the gala awards night.


Oscar glory eluded AR Rahman's 127 Hours track in the Original score and Original Song category. He lost the Original Score Oscar to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for

The Social Network.

And later the Original Song to Toy Story 3's We Belong Together by Randy Newman.

Earlier this month, AR Rahman lost out on a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award in the Best Original Music category to Alexandre Desplat, who bagged the trophy for his score in The King's Speech.

The Oscar-winning musician was in the race for his second BAFTA award, after being nominated for Danny Boyle's 127 Hours. He had won a BAFTA in 2009 for his work in Slumdog Millionaire.

Even though the 45-year-old composer failed to grab a BAFTA this year, he has already bagged the Best Original Song award at the 16th Critics' Choice Awards in January for If I Rise from 127 Hours.

Rahman was also nominated at this year's Golden Globe awards for his music in 127 Hours, but lost out to The Social Network.

We now look forward to the result for Rahman's second nomination in the original song category for If I Rise from 127 Hours.


Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif’s association with busines honcho Vijay Mallya’s cricket team goes back a long way, as she was the face of the team in the first two seasons. But now buzz is that the actress has backed out of the contract citing date troubles and will no longer be the brand ambassador for the team in the third and the fourth season.

According to a source, Kaif has opted out since she feels that there will be a clash of interests between her films and sports commitments during the time of the matches. “Katrina will be shooting in Agra for Mere Brother Ki Dulhan during the games and will not be able to make her appearances to support the team. She is a thorough professional, and since she feels that she will not do justice to her responsibility towards the team, she has decided to step down as the ambassador,” said the source.

Incidentally, Kaif’s an avid cricket buff and is even known to indulge in the sport during her break in shoots. Most recently, the actress was reportedly even playing the game with Salman Khan on the sets of his reality show and later on the sets of her film that also stars Imran Khan. And an insider insists, ‘she’s very good at the game too!’



Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has stepped in to make peace between long-time celebrity couple Krushna Abhishek and Kashmera Shah as the two tried solving their love issues on UTV Bindass’ reality show ‘Love Lockup’.

Krushna, who recently participated in dance show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4′, has been dating Kashmera for nearly five years. But the two have apparently been having tough times together now. So, they decided to enter ‘Love Lockup’ and set things right.

According to a source, Priyanka shared some pertinent tips about love. She talked about how great relationships come into people’s lives rarely and how these must be cherished.

‘Love Lockup’ offers couples struggling to stay in a relationship a chance to work on it, and test if they can live together.



Gautham Vasudev Menon has tried a different genre with Nadunisi Naaygal. It is a psycho thriller that takes place one night in the life of a psychopath with multiple personalities.
It is bizarre and deals with the quirky side of human behaviour. The film moves at a rapid pace with running time of under two hours.

Don’t go expecting a typical Gautham romantic film laced with peppy songs, be prepared to try out something new and experimental. Be warned that there are no songs and background music; still it gives you the Goosebumps.

Gautham wants to shock his core audiences by doing a film in a genre that is alien to him. NN seems to be Gautham’s ode to Bharathiraja’s Kamal Haasan classic Sigappu Rojakkal (1978). The basic story is similar to a certain extent, but treatment and setting are modern.

Samar aka Veera (Veera) a psychopath and the protagonist of the film traces his life from the age of eight to 20. After his mother passed away at tender age of eight, he sees his father indulging in sexual orgies and a bohemian way of life and also gets sexually abused.

A beautiful, kind neighbour Meenakshi (Swapna Abraham) takes pity on him and reports to police the going on’s and takes custody of the young boy after his father commits suicide. But the animal instincts in the boy grows with him and leads to a dangerous situation.

The highlight of the film is the performances of the lead artists. Gautham’s casting is the major plus of the movie. For a first timer, Veera as the psychopath with split personality makes a lasting impression in a well-written role. He is riveting and holds the film together with his performance. Swapna who plays Meenakshi has come out with a stunning lifelike performance. Sameera as the feisty, frightened and helpless girl Sukanya is very good.

The film is technically chic. The camera work of Manoj Paramahamsa is awesome as most of the story happens in the night. His camera has made the film visually appealing along with Antony’s fast cuttings.

On the downside, the film looks more like it has been made for an elite multiplex audiences as camera movement and narration is typical Hollywood in style and technique. The film is definitely not for the family audiences, and in fact some of the scenes are Squamish and are a bit too explicit.

There are too many loopholes in the story, raising doubts about logic and how come the psychopath living in such a huge bungalow with no servants, did not raise any suspicion in the neighbourhood or among the cops.

On the whole, Gautham Menon has tried out a psycho thriller without using eerie music or special effects. Don’t miss it if you’re a fan of urban, psycho thrillers – this is as good as they come!



Story:
Samar (Veera) is forced to participate in sex orgies by his father even as an eight-year old. Some years later, a neighbour Meenakshi (Swapna Abraham) notices something amiss with him and decides to find out what is happening in his house.

She stumbles on an orgy in which the boy is being forced to take part. She calls in the cops to rescue the boy, but his father fires on the police team and ultimately commits suicide. Meenakshi takes in Samar, renames him Veera and tries to bring a semblance of normalcy in his life. He grows up into a young adult, but then Samar/Veera starts getting nightmares about his childhood and believes that only Meenakshi can save him. He develops feelings for her, and when she decides to get married, all hell breaks loose.

Movie Review:
Gautham Menon takes up a very pertinent issue as the theme of 'Nadunisi Naaygal' (midnight dogs) — child sex abuse and the effect it has on children, even though they do not all grow up to be the monster portrayed in the movie.

The promotional advertisements claimed that the movie was based on a true story, but it seems heavily inspired from the characters with split personalities in Thomas Harris' books 'Red Dragon' and 'The Silence of the Lambs'. In the first, the protagonist is unable to control his violent, sexual urges because of abuse he suffered as a child, and in the second a serial killer kidnaps women and skins them. In 'Nadunisi Naaygal', Veera kidnaps, sexually abuses women, kills them and then removes their scalp for their hair.

Veera has tremendous screen presence and fulfils the faith reposed in him by the director. In his earlier avataar he was a production assistant to Gautham Menon, but he has taken to acting like a natural. Though he seemed a bit raw in the scenes where he was portrayed as a school student, he comes into his own in the later half of the movie. Sameera Reddy shines as Sukanya, one of the women kidnapped by Veera. At first she protests timidly to be let free but when she realises that there is no way out, she fights Veera like a wildcat. One of the best scenes of the movie is when, drenched to the skin, she tries to flee from captivity by evading the killer guard dogs. Deva, another assistant of the director, makes a confident debut as ACP Vijay, who rescues Sukanya and other women held captive by Veera.

Manoj Paramahamsa quite literally makes a splash from the first scene onwards when Veera shoots dead a cop who falls in a puddle of water. The close-ups of the mentally-ill protagonist and the shots inside his SUV, in which he kidnaps Sukanya, and his house add to the claustrophobic feel of the movie.

There are no songs nor any background music in the movie, and the audience gets to hear only the ambient noise in the surroundings where the scenes are shot. A novel attempt indeed.

But what was the need to have brought in Samantha (who had a guest appearance in 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya' also) for a single scene as an inmate of the mental asylum where Veera is also sent? Was it an indication of a 'Bonnie and Clyde' or 'Natural Born Killers' type sequel in the works?

In his earlier movies 'Vettaiyaadu Velayadu', 'Vaaranam Aayiram' and 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya', Gautham Menon had pushed the envelope when it came to presentation and themes, but in 'Nadunisi Naaygal' he takes it a bit too far. Best, let the sleeping dogs lie.



Controversies are part of a celebrity's life. Even they keep on denying the incessant media speculations, controversies are bound to occur.

In recent years, MMS scandals of various celebrities have hogged limelight. MMS is a latest offering of technology, which allows one to share multimedia content with anybody via their mobile devices. Though most of them might be fake, it has succeeded in making the thespians popular.

Palpably, people are so curious to know about celebrities and their personal lives, they don’t even think twice before infringing their right to privacy.

Total Filmy brings you the famous MMS scandals that made their presence felt in B-Town from time to time:

1. Ashmit Patel-Riya Sen's MMS:
Ashmit Patel and Riya Sen’s 90-second MMS video hit the web when they were dating each other and just few days before the release of their flick ‘Silsiilay'. The video showed the couple in compromising positions.
Numerous tabloids reported that Ashmit had released the video in order to take revenge from Riya, after finding that she had been cheating on him for some time.

2. Kareena-Shahid's Kissing MMS:
Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor used to be Bollywood’s “IT” couple few years ago.
When they were in the initial stages of their romance, a short MMS video had surfaced online, where the couple was shown engaging in a passionate lip-lock.
Reportedly, a journalist had filmed the couple kissing in order to write about their budding love affair. The MMS stayed in demand for more than two weeks, though, young lovers never admitted being in the video.

3. Mallika Sherawat's MMS:
After making her debut in Bollywood with a small role in ‘Jeena Sirf Merre Liye', Mallika Sherawat hit the bull's eye in 2003 with film ‘Khwahish'. However, not for her performance, but due to the fact that the film had 17 kissing scenes.
In 2004, her film ‘Murder’ was released, in which she had some steamy scenes with co-star Emraan Hashmi. The film went on to be a super hit. Post the release, Mallika Sherawat's porn MMS surfaced. The sleazy video showed actress in compromising position with a foreigner.
It was a tough time for the actress as producers of ‘Murder’ openly declared that they would not be surprise, if the girl in the MMS turns out to be Mallika.
Consequently, Mallika went on to file a case under IT Act. Later on, it was found that the girl in the porn video was not Mallika, but her look-alike named Lolly Wildcat, a porn-star in Brazil.

4. 'Splitsvilla' winner Sakshi Pradhan’s MMS:
Another MMS scandal that made headlines in 2010 was that of MTV’s reality dating show ‘Splitsvilla 2’ winner, Sakshi Pradhan.
Some days after her win, numerous tabloids papers reported that just to win the show Sakshi had slept with show’s director and producer. But the whole thing died down after sometime.
However, shortly after this incident a 14-second video started doing the rounds online, in which Sakshi was seen kissing a guy.
Later on, it was clarified that she was auditioning for a role in Ekta Kapoor’s untitled venture, where candidates were asked to kiss a stranger.

5. Soha Ali Khan’s Bikini Wax MMS:
Last year, yesteryear actress Sharmila Tagore and former Indian cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s younger daughter, actress Soha Ali Khan became victim of MMS scandal.
Apparently, Soha had gone for a routine bikini wax session at a beauty salon, where she was filmed nude with a hidden camera.
Though, the video was removed from the web shortly after it had surfaced, as per reports, the sting on Soha was performed by a leading website in collaboration with salon attendants.
In the video, Soha reportedly looked at ease throughout the session, which raised speculations that the poor actress did not even suspect that she was being filmed.
The video had two episodes, one labeled “before” and another “after waxing” session and was available at the cost price of $20 to $30. The whole incident bewildered Soha and her family.





Just ask Swapna Abraham, the debutante, whose go-for-broke performance as Meenakshi Amma in Gautham Menon's latest flick Nadunisi Naaygal (NN) has audiences sitting up and taking note. Swapna, whose acting repertoire includes playing the lead in the stage production of Mamma Mia in Chennai, admits to being on a creative high, post the release of the film.

Revealing how she bagged the role in NN, she says, "It was exactly a year back when I met Gautham. He told me he was in search of an actress who would appear youthful, but would nevertheless, be older in terms of age. And I seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Having said that, Gautham forewarned me — my role would require me to tonsure my head, which I certainly was not willing to do. And I had to wear make-up — lots of it."

She elaborates, "It took me four hours to put on my make-up and three hours to take it off. I'd finish my nine-to-five job, drive down to the sets on the ECR before everyone else arrived just to get my make-up on. But I am just glad I took up this role, warts and all. There is something mysterious about this film as it doesn't leave any room for easy answers, just like it is in real life."

The case in point here is that controversial scene which had audiences squirming in their seats. Swapna, who in real life, is a mother to a teenaged boy and girl, gives her take, explaining, "In that scene, Meenakshi is visibly uncomfortable as Veera makes his advances. Even then, her maternal instincts kick in and she tries pacifying him. But once Veera gets too close for comfort and gets invasive, her passive resistance gives way to a muted acceptance. However, the audiences are never made privy to Meenakshi's history, which raises doubts about that character's sanity."

Swapna adds that Gautham's sensitive treatment, coupled with the comfort level she shared with Veera prevented the scene from turning exploitative. She remarks, "Gautham conveyed his message in the best way he could — respectfully and unconventionally." When asked if she viewed this film as a launch pad for a blooming career as an actress, she says she wouldn't mind, provided something as challenging as this, came along.


Actress Sameera Reddy has all praise for director Gautam Menon, who gave her a big break in Tamil with his Vaaranam Ayiram. The actress has once again joined hands with him for the film Nadunisi Naaygal. She says that he has the quality to make actors shine. So she trusts him with her life.

Gautam Menon's latest movie Nadunisi Naaygal deals with the story of a psycho killer. It is all about what happens during a night out on the ECR Road, Chennai. Film has no music and is said to be less than two hours. Sameera Reddy is playing first heroine opposite newcomer Veera in it.

In an interview, Sameera admired Goutham's talent. She said, "He has the quality to make actors shine. I trust him with my life. He takes the actor out of you, and lets the character evolve naturally." The actress has lot of love and respect for Tamil audience too. She said, "It is gratifying, the amount of love and respect they give me here."

Nadunisi Naaygal is releasing across the state tomorrow (18th February). And Sameera is pinning lots of hope on it. However, she has several important projects in her hands. She is starring in Prabhu Deva's next film, Lingusamy's Vettai, Priyadarshan's Tez. Nagesh Kukunoor's Yeh Hausla.


He couldn't have asked for more. An onscreen debut in a Gautham Menon film and that too, in the role of an assistant commissioner of police (ACP)!

Needless to say, actor Deva is thrilled beyond words. The actor, who was an assistant to Gautham Menon, has debuted with his Nadunisi Naaygal (NN).

"I worked with Gautham in Vaaranam Aayiram. I took a break when he started work on Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. One night, he called me to his place and narrated the script of NN. I had told him earlier that I'd like to try my hand at acting. So, I was surprised when he remembered that and asked me to do the role of the ACP," begins Deva.

"I was shocked when Gautham narrated the script to me. The story was blatant and at the same time, gripping. I was a little apprehensive about doing a cop's role because actors like Kamal Haasan and Suriya have played the role to perfection. But Gautham had full confidence in me and said he knew what he was doing. So, I started hitting the gym and started preparing for my role," he says.

Deva admits it was easier for him to work with Gautham. "He never gets angry, and he gives an actor a lot of freedom to experiment. As a newcomer, I was lucky to work with him," he says.

Deva says that his family and friends are happy with his performance. "They always thought I would do a love story, but never expected me to play a cop! My sister, actress Maheswari, and aunt Sridevi, and her husband Boney Kapoor, praised me for my work. I called up Gautham to thank him for giving me this break," he answers.

Currently, Deva is busy listening to scripts. "I joined Gautham as an assistant to learn about filmmaking. But acting has always been my passion. Gautham might start work on
Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikkalam and he's told me he would like to cast me as one of the leads," he signs off.


Gautham Vasudev Menon's Nadunisi Naaygal has been torn by the critics, but the film went on to take a good opening.

NN made on a shoe string budget , as per trade sources will get a share around Rs 1.10 crore from releasing centres in Tamil Nadu in its first week! Meanwhile last Sunday, Gautham Menon left for an exotic foreign locale to complete the script of his new film in Tamil.

The film will start rolling in July with a big star. As per sources it will be a typical Gautham genre, romantic musical film laced with action. Meanwhile Gautham Menon is embarking on a new mission, to make his VTV in Hindi with Prateik Babar, Omy Vaidya and Amy Jackson.

AR Rahman has handed over all the seven songs for the Hindi remake which has dialogues by Javed Akthar.

The shooting of the film will start March middle and it will be completed in one single schedule.


Kajal Agarwal, having consolidated her position as one of the most sought-after contemporary heroines, is now moving towards Bollywood.


After a constant watch for the right chance, she has accepted a role opposite Ajay Devgn for the remake of Suriya`s Tamil hit Singam (dubbed in Telugu as Yamudu). The film will be directed by Rohith Shetty.

Anushka was initially chosen but after she denied the role they moved on to Kajal.
Interestingly, many heroines from South, Shriya, Trisha, Asin and Priyamani, have tried their luck in Bollywood, but they had to make a U-turn at the very initial stage, with just one or two films. Let us wait and see how Kajal wades through the high-voltage competition there.


Ilayathalapathy is a busy bee these days as he is apparently managing his acting and political career. Vijay is currently working in director Raja's superhero subject 'Velayutham' and Shankar's '3 Idiots' remake movie, 'Nanban'.

Vijay has also revived his project with director Seeman, which was considered to be shelved due to the imprisonment of the latter. Director Seeman, after his jail sentence, has started the ground works for the film titled 'Pagalavan'.

As per the initial reports, some of the big technicians are being signed for this project. Seeman is good at making power packed movies in which the protagonist delivers a strong message to the society. Considering this fact, Vijay must be highly involved in this project to exploit it for his political career.

As of now the confirmed list of technicians are Padma Shri award winning art director Thotta Tharani, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Devi Sri Prasad and K.V Anand's favorite script writer Vivega. The film will go on floors after completing 'Nanban' and 'Velayutham'. Pagalavan will be produced by Kalaipuli S Thanu under V creations banner.


When we hear the word Thriller movies, one would definitely think about English movies. Thriller movies in Indian cinema have not reached great heights yet. However there are many attempts made to match the international standard in the Thriller genre.

Goutham Vasudev Menon is back yet another trend setting script Nadunisi Naigal. Nadunisi Naigal will be a psychological thriller which is expected not to have any music in it. There is no need for a music director because Nadunisi Naigal will not even feature background score. The lead roles will be played by Sameera Reddy and Veera.

As Nadunisi Naigal will be screened without the support of music, the cinematography and other technical parts are given high importance. Cinematography is handled by Manoj Paramahamsa. The stunts are done by Selva and Gautham Menon's most reliable editor Antony is taking care of the editing part.

Nadunisi Naigal star cast:
Veera as Samar, Veera (hero), Sameera Reddy as Sukanya (Heroine), Ashwin as Arjun, Karthik as Vijay

Nadunisi Naigal technical crew:
Director – Gautham Menon
Producer – Kumar Jayaraman
Cinematography – Manoj Paramahamsa
Editing – Anthony

Gautham Menon's experimental offbeat film Nadunisi Naigal is said to be a psychological thriller film which bags Sameera Reddy and Gautham's associate Veera in lead roles. Gautham Menon, who is quite good in making stylish films has tried his hands in a new genre film which is a rare sight in Tamil cinema.

Nadunisi Naigal storyline:
Nadunisi Naigal is based on a true story in which a psychopath inflicts terror in women at night. The main theme of the story is said to be compulsive love and lust which makes men to indulge in violence. Gautham Menon who is well known for filming song sequences in stylish manner has given no room for music in Nadunisi Naigal.


The movie will go on for 90 minutes without any background scores too. All the sounds have been recorded live and the editing part is said to be a challenging task it is said. Besides Veera and Sameera Reddy Ashwin plays an important in this movie.

Since Nadunisi Naigal is an experimental movie Gautham Menon has planned to release it in limited number of theaters. The multiplex movie theaters will be the first target, says sources. Earlier rumors stated that Nadunisi Naigal is based on Bharathi Raja's Sigappu Rokjakkal, but Gautham Menon has rubbished such rumors.

Gautham Menon has produced Nadunisi Naigal under his home production house Photon Kathaas in collaboration with R. S. Infotainment. The movie is expected to be a trend setter in Tamil cinema and surely will trigger a thought for other directors to try out something different.


It is a dream for each and every actress to share the screen space with Superstar Rajinikanth at least once. Sameera Reddy is not an exception from this list. The actress has openly confessed her admiration towards the actor in her interviews to small screen.

Sameera Reddy has done a direct confession to Rajinikanth when she happened to meet him in a function (we guess it would've happened during the 40th directors union celebration event). The tall beauty has directly approached Rajinikanth and said, “Sir I Want to work with you”. Rajinikanth with a polite smile has said “Ok” for it, says sources.

It is a known fact that Rajinikanth is a man of his words. For instance, Rajinikanth while working with Sonu Sood in 'Chandranukhi' has promised to give a meaty role in one of his future projects. As said earlier Rajinikanth has offered the villain role in his next flick 'Rana'. So this fact suggest that Rajinikanth might be romancing Sameera Reddy in one of his future projects.

Even superstars have bad hair days.

When Shah Rukh Khan launched a documentary on K Asif's classic Mughal-e-Azam, he was obviously facing a hair crisis, thanks to his new Don 2 look.

"I respect women," Shah Rukh said. "I am suffering since the time I put on these (hair) extensions. Now I understand how tough it is for a woman to manage her hair. I respect them even more. I am waiting for the Don 2 shoot to get over to get rid of my messy look."

He also joked that she wanted to give him a bath. "The other day Suhana told me I looked very bad and desperately needed a bath! She was ready to give me one," he said.


We’re very close as a family but I don’t talk to him (Ranbir) about things like his break-up or who he’s dating. He’s old enough to handle all that on his own,” says actor Kareena Kapoor, 30, about her cousin, actor Ranbir Kapoor who seems to have become a permanent fixture in gossip columns and blogs thanks to his constant link-ups and break-ups. “People can speculate all they want. But at the end it’s his life,” she adds.
Talk to her about her curvy new avatar and Kareena immediately lights up. “Personally, I quite like being voluptuous than skinny. I think my fans, filmmakers and even Saif prefer me like this,” she says. But, at one time she was the poster child for all things size zero, even drawing flak for being too thin. She says, “I might have been skinny but I was still exceptionally fit. And now I’m fit and have an amazing body. So, being fit is far more important.”
Ask her if she’ll ever shed her curves for a film, Kareena, who’s on the cover of film glossy Stardust’s March issue as ‘Bollywood’s sexiest woman’ says, “In all my upcoming releases you’ll see me as I am.” However, she’s most excited about her film Agent Vinod, with beau Saif Ali Khan. “Out of all films, this is probably my most anticipated as it’s an exceptional story with the right mix of thrills and a story.” Looks like Kareena has her favourite Khan chosen for now. “They’re all exceptio-nal actors in their own right, so pickings one is really not fair,” she says.

On being asked if she will make her much-anticipated debut on Twitter, Kapoor says, “I prefer to connect to my fans by my films or I’d rather meet them in person. Besides Twitter often leads to unnecessary controversies,” she says with a giggle.

She promises to be seen more often with Saif this year. “Later this year you’ll see us together a lot more in public. Our schedules are jam packed for now. But next year I’ll make sure it’s not like this,” she says. Suggest her that perhaps 2012 will be free enough for wedding bells to toll and she just laughs.

Kareena speaks...
On Ranbir Kapoor
I don’t talk to him (Ranbir) about things like his break-up or who he’s dating. He’s old enough to handle all that on his own. People can speculate all they want.

On never joining Twitter
I prefer to connect with my fans through my films or I’d rather meet them in person. Besides Twitter, too often leads to unnecessary controversies.

On her curvy new body
I have an amazing body and I quite like being voluptuous than being skinny. I think even my
fans, producers, director and even Saif prefers me like this.




Veena Malik is back in yet another Indian cricket-based reality TV show, ‘Bigg Toss’, and this time, her dance number is possibly longer than her previous appearances on Bigg Boss.
According to the video description, 12 contestants will be pitted against each other to “cash in on the World Cup fever” with the centre of attraction being “television hotties, Veena Malik and Bollywood item girl Rakhi Sawant.”


With such star power and a few more dance numbers, this show is likely to be yet another major hit. We can definitely expect thousands of eager, perhaps mortified Pakistanis to be scouring through YouTube for more clips of Malik as the show progresses.


Rakhi Sawant has stirred the hornet’s nest again. Not long after she was in the dock for allegedly driving a young man to suicide after she called him impotent, the starlet, 32, has been accused of molesting a Delhi-based guru, Swami Arvind, giving him a panic attack that landed him in hospital. The two were part of a reality show on India TV — Bigg Toss — loosely based on Bigg Boss, which makes contestants stay together in a villa in Noida.

“I have left the show because Rakhi, whom I treated like my daughter, sat on my lap and made me do a close dance with her. I kept on saying, ‘for God’s sake, leave me, I am not here to do these cheap and obscene acts’, but she did not listen and humiliated me in front of so many viewers. I was shocked to see a woman molesting a man like this,” says the 48-year-old. The Shraddha channel show host was admitted to the Geeta Gupta Nursing Home in Shahdara last week after he suffered an angina attack and his blood pressure shot up.
Sawant, however, denies the allegations. “By accusing me of molesting him, he is only gaining mileage in my name. Rakhi Sawant ke saath naam juda toh popular ho jayega (If you get linked with me, you will get popular),” she says, adding, “He was not fit for the show. Main us dhongi-paakhandi baba ka asli chehra saamne laayi hun (I have ripped the mask off that fraudulent priest). Why did he not raise the issue while he was in the house?”
Some are sure that it’s just another publicity gimmick. “It’s a new show and it’s Rakhi Sawant, so it’s obviously all a tamasha,” says Nitesh Singh, 21, a viewer of the show. “Rakhi Sawant can go to any extent to gain attention. But if the priest is indeed in hospital, this is just not on,” says Bobby Darling, former Bigg Boss contestant.


The cute dimple lad Shahid Kapoor’s 30th birthday bash that was held at the Olive Club in Mumbai on Feb.25 got off to a rosy start, but the celebration, with close friends, did not end on a cherry note.

Reportedly, people residing near the club were not impressed with the loud music and noise coming from the pub past midnight, and hence, some of the locals lodged a police complaint.

And so, the police played a spoilsport for the ‘Kaminey’ actor’s celebration. The police personnel held the event organizers responsible for ignoring the norms pertaining to late night parties.

While no arrests were made, the party mood was killed. But a mature Shahid Kapoor remained calm throughout the police episode and so, no scene was created.

Numerologist Bhavikk Sangghvi predicts the year for Shahid:
As Shahid turns 30, numerologist Bhavikk Sangghvi predicts 2011 as a good year for the most-eligible bachelor, both on the professional and personal front.

“Shahid was born on 25th February, 1981 which makes him a Number 7 person in numerology. Being a Number 7, Shahid is very creative but also very moody. He can be soft spoken and family-loving, but at the same time very temperamental and aggressive,” Bhavikk informs.

“His next film Mausam being directed by none other than his father Pankaj Kapoor, will work well for Shahid as his performance will garner great reviews and even the film would do well at the box office,” the numerologist added.

However, Bhavikk cautions the actor to be a little less vocal about his secrets and avoid taking hasty decisions, to progress in life.

What about Shahid and Priyanka?
Well, though Shahid and Priyanka share a blow-hot-blow-cold love life and Priyanka also gave a skip to Shahid’s birthday bash, the two may still have chances of getting together again.

Bhavik said that Shahid needed to gear up to handle his love interest, Priyanka Chopra’s tantrums and her stubborn nature as deep down even she is a loving and caring person.

We hope to see the couple back in action soon and here’s wishing Shahid a belated Happy Birthday!







In a fiercely fought finale on Friday night, television and film actor Kushal Punjabi emerged winner on NDTV Imagine's controversial reality show Zor Ka Jhatka. Punjabi who has appeared on several other reality shows, defeated his nearest rival German-Polish model Claudia Ciesla.

Though the water-stunts were shot in Buenos Aires last month, the end-game bits of Zor Ka Jhatka finals were shot with anchor Shah Rukh Khan at the Yash Raj Studios on Friday evening.

Claudia was seen on Bigg Boss last year and was also seen as the glamorous face of Zor Ka Jhatka. However, Kushal was seen to have an edge over all the contestants in terms of agility and control over the tasks allotted to the contestants.

Minutes after winning Kushal said, "Ah, it feels great to have won. More so, since my closest rival was a lady. I am just so pleased to emerge on top in a competition where the contestants were some notable athletes as well. When I agreed to do the show I wasn't aware of whom my competitors were. When I reached Buenos Aires I saw what I was up against. Now it feels good to be the winner when the competition is impressive."


She wowed fans with her mast mast antics on the silver screen before taking a sabbatical. But now, Raveena Tandon is set for a ‘comeback’. “Comeback has become a keyword in my life,” laughs Tandon. “Over the past year or so, I’ve made many comebacks with Aap Ke Liye Hum and a Bengali film, Laboratory (2010).”

This time, Raveena is geared up for a fresh outing in Bollywood with the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Buddah. The Satta actor, last spotted in Sandwich (2006), will play Big B’s love interest in Puri Jagannath’s film, also starring Hema Malini and Sonu Sood. Interestingly, she will be the third female actor – after Jiah Khan in Nishabd (2007) and Tabu in Cheeni Kum (2007) – to be paired opposite an older Bachchan. But Tandon insists she won’t be seen doing anything similar.

“I’ve always had strict rules about my portrayal on screen. I’ve been clear about not doing things I’m uncomfortable with,” says Tandon. “So, my set of principles and my laxman rekha (boundaries) will continue. In fact, I’ve to follow my principles more strictly now. I don’t want my kids (Rasha and Ranbir) to ask, ‘Mom, what were you thinking?’”

Tandon says she turned down Darr (1993) and Prem Qaid (’91) because she was not comfortable with certain sultry sequences. As for Buddah, the actor gushes, “It’s an amazingly funny script. My character has a huge crush on Big B. I’m very excited because in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (’98), I had played his sister while Aks (2001) saw him more obsessed with Manoj Bajpai.”

Tandon insists she’s open to sharing screen space with all male actors, including former flame Akshay Kumar. “If I get a good script, I’d love to work with him again. I’m not waiting with a dagger to attack Akki,” she laughs.


There’s been much hype around the title track of Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maro Dum featuring the sizzling Deepika Padukone. Only Dev Anand, in whose Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971) the song first appeared, is unimpressed. “My Dum maro dum… is an eternal phenomenon thanks to the RD Burman-Asha Bhonsle magic. How could they just take away my song on the basis of some clause in the contract? It disturbed me for days and I even wrote an open letter to the producers. I don’t want to stir up faltu ka (unnecessary) controversies. If you can write original stuff, then why would you need to copy someone else’s work?” grouses the veteran actor-producer-director.

Dev Anand, whose 1961 black-and-white classic released in colour as Hum Dono Rangeen recently, has been working on half-a-dozen scripts, including Hare Rama Hare Krishna Aaj.

“It’s too premature to disclose much. All I can say is that the new Hare Rama Hare Krishna will showcase today’s issues just like the earlier film, touched on the decadence of the hippie culture and the dangers of drug abuse,”says Anand.

He was inspired to make the original Hare Rama Hare Krishna after coming across some hippes in Kathmandu where he had retreated following the furore over Prem Pujari (1970).
The earlier film had starred Dev Anand and Mumtaz, with Zeenat Aman in a supporting role as a sister who died in the film but was immortalised as an actor. “The new film will have different characters and younger actors. But who knows I may be able to bring Zeenat back in a different role,” says the 86-year-old.

“Perhaps I will go back to Nepal to shoot it. There’s so much left to do. But one thing’s for sure, I will never borrow from anyone. I may have been inspired but I’ve never imitated. Every Dev Anand film is an original,” concludes Anand.